Same for me. Weather was absolutely atrocious - from memory they had to close the comedy tent on the Sunday as parts of it started blowing away. Obviously the BIG one was Nirvana, but Public Enemy as Saturday night headliners were mighty, Rollins Band were intense, L7 provided their infamous tampon throwing moment and it proved to be the only time I’d see The Beastie Boys Was also the first time I became aware of Nick Cave - was confusing and scary as I had mostly been a metal kid up until that point but something was appealing enough that I’m still involved 31 years later.
Essential packing? My mate’s older brother’s car that he drove us there in. We all slept in it on the Sunday night as our crappy a-frame tent (very similar to MNP’s up ^there) had given up the ghost by that point…
Same, got my GCSE results and went straight from there with my dad. Camped in a puddle, saw about 40 bands, had the best time. If I tried doing it now I’d be dead by Saturday.
First festival was the free anti-racism festival that Ken Livingstone used to put on before he was mayor / went a bit sideways. I was 11 and can’t find a poster. I remember it being insanely hot and was my first time seeing people on a lot of drugs. Dreadzone and Credit to the Nation were both great.
After my Leaving Cert. A bunch of school friends went down on the train.
Thurles is probably one of the worst places in Ireland to have a festival and the GAA stadium was a nightmare. Everything was covered in rubbish and how we didn’t catch a disease I do not know.
Thought Blur would be indie shite but were the band of the weekend.
Reckon I saw about 30 bands at this, partly because I assumed that’s what you were supposed to do at festivals and partly because there was fuck all else to do. Main memories are Will Smith showing up during Wicked Wisdom’s (Jada Pinkett-Smith’s godawful nu-metal band) set, Strapping Young Lad being absolutely amazing, Tool’s visuals not really working in broad daylight and Metallica showing up nearly an hour late (16 year old me thought this was a fine and normal thing for bands to do).
Had a great time but as soon as I went to another festival I realised just how little there is at Download other than a campsite and some stages. Wish I’d brought more snacks with me too, was quite galling having to spend £2 every time I wanted a packet of crisps or something.
V97 - the Leeds leg. I would’ve been 15 so my folks insisted I be chaperoned by my older sister and her bf - not that I saw much of them for the entire weekend once we got there.
Foo Fighters were the main draw for me. TCATS had just been released and I was deep into my Nirvana phase and obsessed with them. Got right down the front for their set and had the time of my life. Bought one of their t-shirts - black with the TCATS design on the front and your dates on the back. Still got it somewhere - probably worth a bit now?
Got right down the front for Prodigy too but instantly regretted it. The only time I’ve ever genuinely feared for my life at a gig. Just had zero control over my own body for the entire set and was fighting to stay upright the whole time.
I know I also saw Blur and Beck (both great) that weekend but that’s pretty much where my recollection ends. Did I actually see Pavement during their first run? Couldn’t tell you. I know for a fact that I didn’t see Daft Punk that weekend, which absolutely sickens me now obvs.
Was at my peak Eminem/nu-metal fan in 2001, so this was the perfect first festival for me. I have a terrible memory, so can’t remember everyone I saw, but I remember seeing…
Eminem
Papa Roach
QOTSA
SOAD
(HED) P.E.
D12
Mark B & Blade
Green Day
Run DMC
Eels
OPM
28 Days
Cooper Temple Clause (I think)
and… errr… Lostprophets
I don’t enjoy looking back at posters for festivals I went to. Not because I didn’t enjoy myself of anything, but because I look at all the people on the bill I could have seen at their peak and didn’t. Looking at this poster, 40 year old paulo would loved to have seen Mogwai, Fun Loving Criminals, Ignite, Roots Manuva… well, that’s it. But there have been other Reading’s i’ve been to that have had loads I would have seen now.
Not a clue I got taken to shit loads of festivals as a child, put it like this I was still in me Mam’s belly when they were at Whitby in 87. Probably Stainsby or is it Stakesby (near Wakefield) in 1988. Without parents Glastonbury 2005
The Saturday night was the first time I bothered to not go home overnight, stayed in a mate’s bag tent so we could get up and rush to the front for the first five bands on Sunday. hed (PE), Fear Factory and SOAD were great value 18 y/o me. Tbh, they still would be today.
Was also the first time I became aware of Nick Cave - was confusing and scary as I had mostly been a metal kid up until that point but something was appealing enough that I’m still involved 31 years later.
